(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the launch of bodies from submarines at various depths, and is directed more particularly to the launch of bodies, such as weapons, vehicles, and the like, from locations outside the pressure hulls of submarines.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
The United States Navy has expressed a need to carry greater payloads of weapons/vehicles on submarines and a need to launch weapons/vehicles from modular, external, payload bays. Traditionally, such bodies have been stowed inside submarine torpedo rooms, protected from the pressure and corrosiveness of the ocean environment, and then launched from the submarine torpedo tubes when needed.
Accordingly, there is a need for an assembly for underwater bodies, including an appropriate launcher therefor, which assembly is adapted to be mounted outside a submarine pressure hull, and is operable to separate the underwater bodies from the launcher by force of gravity.
An object of the invention is, therefore, to provide a launch assembly mounted outside the pressure hull of a submarine, for housing and releasing bodies underwater, and underwater bodies for exiting the launch assembly and dropping downwardly by force of gravity until well clear of the submarine, and thereafter navigating under its own power.
With the above and other objects in view, a feature of the present invention is the provision of an assembly of underwater bodies and a launcher therefor. The assembly is adapted for mounting on a submarine outside the pressure hull. The assembly includes a launcher comprising a housing for enclosing an underwater body, a body support structure within the housing for supporting the body, a pressure regulator system in communication with the housing for imposing a selected pressure on an interior of the housing, a hatch pivotally mounted on the housing, and an actuator for opening the hatch to permit the body to exit the hatch, and for closing the hatch. The assembly further includes an underwater body comprising a self-propelled body adapted to exit by gravity from the launcher. A release device is disposed on at least one of the launcher and the body for releasing the body from the launcher to permit the exit of the body from the launcher by gravity.
The above and other features of the invention, including various novel details of construction and combinations of parts, will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims. It will be understood that the particular assembly embodying the invention is shown by way of illustration only and not as a limitation of the invention. The principles and features of this invention may be employed in various and numerous embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.